Gran Pulse: Life and Love
by Prudence Chastity
Summary: Lightning & Jihl want a child of their own. The way to get there is not so easy. Feeling lonely amidst all her mated friends & married sister, Serah seeks out her true love and hits a bumpy road on the way to get there. Fun & fluffy fic w mini dramas. LightxJihl, FangxSerahxVanille, SummerxSky, HawkexIsabela x Shivas, BethanyxCarmexKale & more.
1. Chapter 1

**Jaguar, 2**

"We're going to use Miranda's potion," Lightning explained, "Until I get pregnant. I still have to get checked up on with Thalia first to make sure everything's safe, but that's our plan. We want the baby to be ours by blood, and since Miranda's made that possible..."

"Wow," Serah cooed, big eyes trained on the back of Jihl's head, who mingled in their party with her Umbra friends. "I'd be a little afraid of Jihl with a dick." Sky choked on her drink and coughed some up.

"Oh, honey," Summer tsked and fetched napkins from the nearby table to help her wipe it off.

"It's going to be different for a little bit," Lightning admitted, "But it's only temporary, sustained by magic. It's nothing permanent- and with some help from Thalia, I'll be ovulating more quickly, so we should conceive in a reasonable time period, more like a Yun than Umbra if all goes well."

"Wow," Serah repeated again with true awe. "I'm happy for you, Claire. Still, I'd more easily see you with the dick."

Sky kind of choked again. The comment caused Lightning to pause with her drink raised. An eyebrow joined it. Summer chuckled.

"She's got a point, there, Light." Summer eyed her below the belt. "You would not be undesirable… strapped."

"Summer…" Sky murmured like a warning, but her cheeks were a little red.

"I know, I know," Summer sighed. "But if you ever reconsider sandwiches, honey, keep Lightning in mind." Summer kissed her sweetly on the cheek and squeezed Sky's hand. "I'm going to check on the kids. Light, congratulations. You're just going to love pregnancy. I'll help in any way I can."

"Thank you," Lightning bade a temporary goodbye, then turned attention back on her sister and Sky. "We decided that I was going to bear. Jihl wants a girl, but I know she doesn't want to go through pregnancy and all that, so it's better this way."

"Ohh." Serah's thoughts drifted in that direction. "You're right. A pregnant Jihl would be even more terrifying."

The tiniest edge of Lightning's lips quirked in a way that said, "Yes."

"Talking about me, lovelies?" Jihl startled them by asking, appearing behind Lightning with an immediate arm that curled around her side. "I'll have you know, Serah: I'm going to be very non-threatening with my new dick." Serah almost dropped her cup, cheeks warming immediately into what she knew was a bright flush. "Claire's not a particular fan," Jihl explained, hugging Lightning to her side. "So, the least I can do is be nice with it. Right, baby?"

"You better be nice to me."

Jihl smiled and kissed the side of Lightning's cheek. "The nicest." Jihl's smile turned their way. "If you two will excuse us, I need to borrow my lover for a bit."

"Good luck," Sky bade, most likely directed at Lightning.

"See you later, Sis," Serah watched them go, then sighed. "Isn't that the sweetest thing? Claire's going to have a baby with the woman she loves."

"It's sweet," Sky agreed. "Without the details, it's very sweet. Happy for your sister, Serah."

Serah watched Lightning mingle with their friends, but stay close to Jihl. They shared little things: a handhold, a look and a hand squeeze, both excited and nervous for the next, new chapter of their beautiful lives together with the soul mates they'd found in each other. It made Serah so happy just to look at them, happy and wistful.

"Sky," Serah voiced after watching their sweet intimacies a moment. "I want a baby."

"So, have one," Sky shrugged, the urge to procreate in happiness seemingly completely natural to her. "There are plenty of studs who will happily impregnate you."

"No, Skyy," Serah complained, turning on her one of her closest friends, "I don't just want a random baby. I want what Claire has- a child with the woman I love and am going to spend my life with. Like you and Summer. I want to find my mate, Sky."

"She'll come along, Serah," Sky reassured, lifting a hand to Serah's shoulder to rub.

"What if she doesn't?" Serah's heart felt tight, more out of wistfulness than anything else, but it felt like a sign. "I'm twenty-seven years old and no one's tried to court me yet. What if no one does?"

"That's your fear talking," Sky observed. "It's okay, Serah. You see Claire and Jihl here with other couples, then it's natural to want it, too. Your mate or wife will come in time. You don't have to rush it."

Serah gave a meek smile, but was disheartened inside. She didn't want to rush something so important either, but she wished her soul mate would show up already. Claire had had Jihl since they were kids on and off all the time in-between trying others, but they'd always gone back to each other and it was clear they would marry. Sky had loved Summer since her early teens, too, and all four of them had gotten their happy endings together. Serah didn't have that childhood love to depend on. It weighed on her. What if she didn't get to find the one? Ohh…

"Come on, Serah," Sky urged. Seeing her still upset and being a good friend, Sky directed her elsewhere. "I'm sure the kids want to play with their favorite aunt." She gave her a comforting hug around the shoulders with an arm. "And maybe Summer has some old friends you can meet or something."

Serah was touched by the gesture, especially made by her prudish friend who really would rather avoid the majority of Summer's old studs and femmes. A courting mate, she may not have - hopefully 'yet' - but when it came to friends, Sky was the best. Serah at least had her friends.

**Jaguar, 6**

**XXX**

"Okay," Miranda turned back to them with a small, clear cup of a dark, purply fluid that almost kind of glittered and shone. "This is it. You'll have to take off the rest of your hair now so that we can observe and monitor it."

"Mums, that's your cue." Jihl alerted, too. Standing in the small room, Cereza and Jeanne stood with Raina and Farron with their girls over this. There had been a lot of discussion over it for a long time, and they didn't always agree over it with the possible dangers that could happen, but all four parents had agreed it was Jihl and Lightning's choice. That didn't mean they didn't worry over them, though.

As comfortable as Jihl and Lightning were with nudity, neither of them had really been in favor of letting the parents see Jihl's new penis when it came. Lightning was glad for it. In a joint decision, they'd earlier asked their parents to leave at this step of the process.

"We're outside if you need us." Jeanne promised and kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"We love you, Jihl."

"Be safe," Raina bid, squeezing Lightning's hand for support.

"Any kind of help," Farron offered again. "Anything at all, Claire, even if it feels weird asking."

"Thanks, Mom, Dad."

When the well-wishes were made and the parents issued out with assurances from everyone in the room, only Thalia and Miranda remained with the little potion she'd crafted held between fingers for them. "This is going to taste bad and feel weird," Miranda warned her, handing the little cup over to Jihl. "I've enhanced some of the rawest elements with transformation magic that's going to seep directly into your bloodline when you take it." Miranda nodded to the little cup, now in Jihl's fingers.

"We're only half Umbra, but it's the Umbra blood that makes the transformation possible at all. It's going to flow into your body and bind with your blood before the process can even start. You'll feel tingly all over and it'll be cold; that's normal. When your vaginal area starts to grow hot, - really hot- you'll know it's working. Thalia and I will be here to monitor it the whole time."

"How quickly will it happen?"

"It should all be over within twenty minutes."

Twenty minutes to change a girl's plumbing. Even Lightning had butterflies, and she wasn't the one taking it. "Have you taken it yourself?" Lightning asked, seeking assurances for Jihl.

"God, no," Miranda snorted. "But it yielded good results before and I know my magic sciences. You should be fine. I can't guarantee anything if your body rejects or has an overreaction or overcomplicates the bind and makes it permanent, but I can give my assurances that the odds of that happening are very low."

"How low?"

"About 20 percent."

Not quite the assurances Lightning had been looking for, but it was something. Miranda was smart and at least Jihl wasn't the first test subject. Even if they were only the second…

"Jihl," Lightning took her free hand and interlaced their fingers. "You can still back out if you want to."

Jihl was definitely more nervous than her usual, confident self. "Do you want to?"

"I want your baby," Lightning confessed. They'd been talking about this procedure for so long, Lightning could barely believe they were at it and so close now, but even with how much Lightning wanted to share this experience with Jihl - giving birth to _her _babies - she wouldn't. Not if Jihl didn't want to. Not if she was too afraid of the risks. "But I want you to be comfortable more. If you don't want to- "

Jihl squeezed her hand. "I'm ready, Claire." They kissed. It was one of nerves as much as love and passion for each other in ultimate sweetness. When Jihl pulled away, Lightning wanted to do nothing but hold her and keep her from any of these dangers against her breast. She loved Jihl so much, and this was such a risk, but…

"Here goes nothing." In an instant, Jihl's long, blonde hair retracted out from the pierced loops on her body and withdrew back into her head, leaving Jihl completely bare and exposed for examination. She already had some sort of sensory nodes on her shoulders and head; now, Miranda added two more near her upper, inner thighs. And then in a swig, Jihl downed back the liquid with such a face of disgust, she shuddered, then curled in against Lightning. "Ugh."

Lightning took the cup and set it aside as Jihl leaned against her. "Do you feel anything?"

"Not yet."

Not yet soon passed. In another few moments, Jihl shivered and clung to her, complaining of the ice in her veins, which Miranda assured was normal. "Your body's never undergone as severe a transformation as this," Miranda told them knowingly. "It's going to resist and balk at the addition."

Jihl seemed much more in pain after she said it. She fastened against Lightning with a stone grip. "Holy shit," Jihl moaned, "My vagina's on fire. Clairrre."

"Still very normal," Miranda reported, not seeming bothered by Jihl's pain, but moreso studying her. Thalia, at least, tried to help in a more humanly manner.

"Water," she offered, but when Lightning held up the cup for Jihl, she groaned.

"Put it on my vag." Jihl's fingers stiffened in clamping to her. "We undergo cat transformations - you would think growing a little dick wouldn't hurt so bad!"

"It's part of your genetics that are changing," Miranda informed. "This isn't a total transformation: it's one, humanly piece of you, and it's not cosmetic. Your body's altering to adapt to a stud's. It's a complicated process, much moreso than turning into a cat."

"Ughll," Jihl dropped her head against Lightning's shoulder. "Water, Claire!"

Lightning went to do as she requested in pouring the water over her, but her eyes froze on Jihl's bottom parts before she could. Down there, between her legs where Jihl's sex had been was changed - was changing even as Lightning looked at it. Lightning blanked out everything, heart starting to race as she stared down at her girlfriend, her girlfriend with a small and growing penis poking from between her legs where small and round balls replaced the openings Lightning was most familiar with. And in the middle of them, her small and little nub of a penis grew more and extended, not yet hard, but flaccid and growing. At the same time, Lightning was both horrified and morbidly fascinated with what was happening.

"Claire!" Jihl practically cried out. She grabbed Lightning's wrist with the water cup and dumped it on herself. Lightning instantly felt like a horrible girlfriend for not attending Jihl's needs and hugged her.

"It'll become less painful the more times you go through it," Miranda promised. "It goes a little faster, too."

"Claire," Jihl practically whimpered this time, and Lightning held her.

"Shhh, shhh, I'm here," Lightning tried to assure, tearing away her own eyes to give total attention to Jihl. "I'm here, Jihl."

"It's fucking heavy," Jihl whimpered in a small voice, head tucked into the crook of Lightning's neck. "I can't look. I… don't feel right. Claire..."

"You don't have to look right away, Jihl, shhh."

"Bigger than expected. I hadn't anticipated the full girth of a Yun's," Miranda observed, and this time when Lightning looked, she saw it'd stopped growing. With her pencil, Miranda lifted it to examine and startled Jihl almost into a heart attack. She jerked so bad, her head snapped into Lightning's chin on the uplift without stopping until she saw herself down there. Then, Jihl froze.

"Lightning!" Lightning winced as Thalia hurried over with ice for her throbbing chin. Miranda was more interested in her test subject.

"Oh, my God! I have balls!" Jihl blurted, eyes big.

"Yes, you do," Miranda confirmed, then poked at Jihl with the end of her pencil. "Healthy balls, it looks like."

"Hey!" Jihl snapped, then reached down as if to protect herself, but got freaked out halfway there and didn't descend. "Stop touching my parts! You don't get that privilege anymore!"

"Just checking your health," Miranda dismissed without really seeming bothered. She lifted Jihl's penis with the end of the pencil again.

"Stop that! That's for my wife!" Jihl protested, but wouldn't reach for herself. "Claire, she's- " Jihl finally looked her way again and noticed Thalia and the ice pack only then. "Claire! You're- "

"I'm okay," Lightning interrupted, lowering her head to meet Jihl's eye with a half, meek smile. "I'm more worried about you." Her eyes drifted down where she stared between Jihl's legs. "Is it…"

"Oh, I can feel it alright. I feel Miranda poking around down there."

"Just studying," Miranda reported, now checking the underside of Jihl's new balls as well.

"Studying," Jihl scoffed. "More like oogling. We used to use a strap on- bet you she's jealous, Claire."

"Oversize that may cause a possible crook when erect," Miranda noted in response.

"Crook? There's no crook! Harass someone else's testicles, Dragon Lady." It was slight, but the faint corner of Miranda's mouth quirked for only a second.

Their banter aside, Lightning was more concerned with Jihl at the moment. "Are you okay?" She gave Jihl's hand a squeeze of support with the other holding ice to her chin.

"I'm fine." Jihl glanced down at herself again. "It's just a little…"

"Weird," Lightning finished for her.

"Weird like you can't imagine." Jihl lifted her eyes up for a few, breathy seconds to take it all in. "It's tingling," she said after a few seconds, then looked down to Miranda, who rubbed the side of her penis up and down with the pencil edge. "Is it supposed to tingle?"

"It is when I'm stimulating you," Miranda responded calmly.

"You're what?!" Jihl finally braved it, reached down, and knocked only the pencil out from between her fingers without touching it. "Stop it!"

Miranda sighed and bent to pick up her pencil. "Arousing as I might once have found you- "

"Might once have found me," Jihl grumbled.

"-This is research," Miranda continued, "And I have to take notes."

"I've barely had a penis five minutes and you've already fondled me to make me erect! It's doctor-patient harassment, is what."

"She is trying to help," Thalia offered, "At a point, we must measure the time it takes to grow erect so that we know if Jihl responds in a healthy manner to stimulation, but," Thalia added, looking Miranda's way, "That is a test we could perhaps save for a few hours until Jihl is more comfortable with herself."

Jihl gave her a snide, victorious look, to which Miranda sighed at. "Fine, but while you're familiarizing yourself with Claire, at least be useful enough to gather samples with this." She handed Jihl a little square packet that Jihl frowned at.

"And this is…"

"It's a condom."

"Oh," Lightning took it from Jihl's fingers to look at it.

"You know what that is?" Jihl asked, eyebrows raising at her.

"Yes," Lightning confessed. "Studs have horror stories about these things." Jihl looked at her questioningly, but Lightning didn't want to overload her wife's fear levels by compounding issues at the moment. She looked at Miranda instead, who didn't seem surprised Jihl didn't know what it was. "Are you sure it's big enough…?"

"It should fit," Miranda assured. "Take a few in case you have trouble getting it on her."

"What are we talking about?" Jihl asked, suspicious. "What are they?"

"It's nothing, not important," Lightning dismissed. "Can we... have some privacy now?"

"It'd be much more informative if we could stay." Miranda sighed.

"Come on, Miranda." Thalia took her by the arm. "We'll conduct tests later."

"Okay," Miranda agreed reluctantly, then added on the way out. "But time her, Claire, if you two have sex."

"I don't think we'll get that far yet…"

When the door shut behind them, Jihl looked at Lightning with usually lost and curious eyes. "So… what now?"

"Well…" Lightning was no expert. It was true, she had more Yun and stud friends than Jihl did, but she'd never personally been with one, either, always preferring femmes instead. Her knowledge of Jihl's new plumbing only extended to the things she'd seen and heard, either from her mother pleasing her father or friends talking or other Yuns in public. It wasn't much, but at least she had some bearings of where to begin. "You should familiarize yourself… get used to it, you know?"

Jihl snorted. "Right. Show me how to touch it."

"Well, I don't know any better than you would," Lightning prefaced, drawing Jihl's eyes, which blinked. "But I'll touch it first if you want me to."

"Please."

"Okay," Lightning reached out cautious fingers first, which hovered over Jihl for a moment.

"Let me take these off," Jihl said in a moment of trepidation, then took away the nodes off her inner thighs. "I rather them not know the first time I'm aroused with you." She took the others off, too. Lightning gave her a supportive smile.

"Ready?"

"With you, yes."

With her free arm, Lightning hugged Jihl in close around the shoulders, then she finally lowered her hand.

Fingers came into contact first with a fleshy, soft lump. Lightning lowered her forefingers over the bottom of it and gently touched the top with the pad of her thumb. It was soft and almost squishy when Lightning pressed gently. "Ohh," Jihl let out a breath. Lightning ran her thumb down the soft, fleshy middle, but didn't touch the tip. "It's tingling again," Jihl confessed. "So sensitive."

"Does it hurt?"

"No, it's…" Jihl buried her face in the side of Lightning's neck again, face feeling a little warm there. "It's tingling a lot. I can feel my blood rushing. Claire." Jihl nuzzled her neck. "Kiss me," she asked. Lightning did so in a simple, pleasant manner that had Jihl moaning breathily in another instant as the small, squishy penis in Lightning's hand ballooned and grew right under her fingers. Jihl tore her face away with a moan and wouldn't look at herself. Lightning couldn't look away from it.

The small lump between her fingers grew and blossomed, inflating like a sturdy balloon right in front of her eyes. It elongated, too, growing thick and meaty and incredible in size. Lightning had seen penises before, but even Jihl's startled her at how rapidly big it became in her hand. "Jihl," Lightning spoke softly, eyes caught on Jihl's dick. "You're huge."

"It feels like it. It's really heavy." Jihl shifted, eyes still away buried by Lightning as she tried to adjust to the weight. "These balls are unnerving, too. It's all just so weighty, Claire."

"Well, we'll get used to it," Lightning promised with more confidence than she was feeling.

"You look pale."

"What? No." Lightning finally tore away her eyes from it to meet Jihl's. "I'm not- do I really?" Lightning asked, afraid it was showing too much. She was trying to be supportive here; it didn't really help when her body betrayed her.

"Are you afraid?" Jihl ignored the question and asked, stirring the unease in Lightning's belly.

"I'm not afraid, Jihl," Lightning said with conviction. "I know I'll be okay with you."

"But you're unnerved," Jihl pointed out.

"I'll get over it," Lightning promised and fully intended to. "Your size just surprised me. I didn't expect you'd get that big."

Jihl cupped a cheek with a hand. "I'm a little scared, too, Claire. We're in this together, okay?"

It had to be even weirder for Jihl, Lightning was sure, but her wife was always sweet when need be. "How's it feel?" she asked, wanting to be supportive of Jihl in this, too. Jihl gave a little smile back.

"It's weird." Jihl gave a little laugh back. "Very… condensed and heavy, you know? I'm not used to having hanging balls or a huge stick poking from down there. It feels solid, Claire."

"I think I feel that," Lightning agreed. "You're pretty hard."

"It's really sensitive. I'm tingling all over." Jihl gave a little shudder. "Your warm fingers aren't helping that."

"Sorry," Lightning released Jihl, which caused her to shudder once more again. "Just familiarizing a bit."

"Don't be sorry. We should familiarize. You'll experiment with me, right, Claire?" Jihl was sweet to clarify that intention. "Not sex yet, just… some getting used to it."

"Of course, Jihl," Lightning reached up and stroked her cheek to reassure her lover.

"Whoa," Jihl's hand lifted to Lightning's shoulder for balance, even though she was already sitting. "That's- I think it just got harder from that."

Lightning sympathized with her sensitivities. "Can I take you home now?"

"I would like that," Jihl admitted. She clothed in her hair, which did nothing to hide the very noticeable bulge Jihl had barely blanketed at her center.

"Ah," Lightning observed her package down there as Jihl slid off the table, a little unbalanced. "You're showing a bit there."

"A little passing thank you to Miranda on our way out," Jihl smirked, but leaned into Lightning in a direction that almost completely hid it. "Take me home, Claire."

**Jaguar, 6**

**XXX**

The red, hot sun burned over tanned shoulders and backs, some reddened from abuse of a relationship taken too long under its rays. Paddra Yun Fang was one such victim of this, and one such victim that didn't seem to care or learn. Happily dragging the carcass of a bear by its leg behind her, Fang traversed through those harmful rays that she'd been in all day on her way back to camp. It was only a short way now, and the cry out of her name signaled it. "Fang!"

Over the top ledge of a plateau where Fang's company had made camp sheltered away from fiends both by the rising rock face that circled 3/4's around it and the height that only flying beasts could reach, a blonde and slight Yun waved Fang along. "Hurry up," the Yun spoke again when she drew nearer to the plateau. "We've been waiting on you, Fang. Come up."

A rope ladder rolled down the open side of the plateau a moment later, causing Fang to readjust her hold on the bear by tossing his heavy arms over her shoulders to carry up. She scaled the land rise without difficulty using the ladder, then hauled the carcass over her shoulder and plopped it onto the ledge.

"Over here, Fang," The slender, blonde haired woman waved her to come along as she made the short distance back to camp near their tents. She glanced back only a moment to make sure Fang followed and complimented when she did. "Nice kill."

"It's about time. We're starving," Another Yun near the fire complained. This one green-haired and younger with a curling snake tattooed up her neck, Ivy still had a lot of spunk to her name. The younger Yun had once been known purely by her attitude and behavioral problems, which she still had to some degrees, but hunting for so long with Fang's hunting band had done some wonders towards cleaning that up a bit. Gone was the punky mohawk she had sported since thirteen. In place, Ivy simply wore a small ponytail now that ended just above her neck. A lot of the problems had gone with the mohawk, which Fang personally found Cobre, Jael's eldest and their hunting band leader, to be responsible for. Cobre didn't put up with shit, plain and simple.

With a simple look from the androgynously-featured Yun, Ivy straightened up in an instant. "I'll get the rotisserie ready. Is the blood drained?"

"I drained it on spot," Fang reported, glad to have that out of the way so she could proceed to the washing and skinning of the meat.

"Kale's fetching more water for the washing," Cobre offered, kneeling before the fire to build it up for a feast. "I'll handle the skins; you just work on getting that meat off for us."

"Okay," Fang agreed, and immediately went to work in laying out the beast to skin it. It wasn't a terribly long chore, but enough moments passed for Cobre to get the fire really roaring and Ivy to set up their tools for roasting. Ivy did all Cobre bade her to without complaint, seeking the Yun's approval like she usually did. Cobre rarely gave it; she was a stoic breed and didn't often approve, reward, or compliment behaviors she didn't find worthy, but those hard, steel eyes of disapproval were enough to move mountains, and they had with Ivy. The younger Yun, only 28 years to Cobre's 37, was always trying to keep those eyes of disappointment away and earn Cobre's respect whenever she could. Fang was pretty sure she'd fallen in love with the Yun over their ventures, but if Cobre reciprocated, it was hard to tell. It was true; Fang had heard them fucking the night away on more than one occasion, but when you were a Yun, that could mean anything from a friend to lonely nights or lovers. Likely, it had been Ivy who'd come into her tent at night, but Fang really didn't know and didn't like to speculate all that much, either.

By the time Kale returned with the water, the bear was completely skinned and Cobre was in the midst of laying them out to be cleaned. Ivy sat beside Fang and readied the meat on the rotisserie as Fang cut, but her eyes kept casting over to Cobre's back in wistful longing. Fang knew that kind of gaze.

As Kale set about boiling some water, all chores automatically working together, they'd been a hunting band so long, Cobre brought up. "We've had word from Paddra." The statement gathered everyone's attention, but no one spoke up to ask. Cobre revealed at her own pace. "There's an overcrowding of Adamantoise in the plains near Paradiso. The Umbra have granted us permission to reroute the herds and take one for Paddra."

"That's great news!" Kale voiced with a smile. She nudged Fang, encouraged. "You're going to score another turtle, Fang, how's that feel? 3 in 30 years- that has to be a record since the Turtle Wars or something. How do you even get so lucky as that?" Fang smiled, too. With the sparsity of the turtle population, it was a great honor to permitted even one slaying in a Yun's lifetime. Fang had had that honor twice before already. She was thrilled to have it again.

"When it's slain, the Umbra will help us move the meat quick enough. Most of it's going to Paddra where we'll be having a homecoming feast, so get your rest tonight. Within a few weeks time, we're heading home."


	2. Chapter 2

**Jaguar, 7**

**XXX**

"So, Lightning's away sucking Jihl's cock in Paradiso? My god, that's delicious."

"Well, I don't think she's sucking," Serah cautioned, less forthright than Isabela about all of it. "Claire isn't into studs so much."

"A flaw I'm sure Jihl will fix now that she is one," Isabela daydreamed. "Maybe Jihl will teach her so well, she'll be open to joining me and Hawke a few days of the week."

Summer sighed forlornly, having a similar daydream crushed. "It's just too bad Jihl's not open to bearing herself. Lightning would make such an excellent stud."

Isabela snorted. "Like you could even convince the old ball and chain to sleep with her if she was! My woman, on the other hand," Sitting in said woman's lap as Hawke examined some weapon specs for crafting, Isabela soothed a hand over her chest and purred. "We're more open to adventure."

"Adventure with a deathly fear of commitment," Summer speculated. "Charming."

"Better a fear of commitment than licking the same old prude."

"You haven't licked Sky."

"But I could if I wanted," Isabela licked her lip and gave Summer eyebrows. "How's your leash, love?"

"Not by my allowance, you couldn't."

"Ladies, ladies," Hawke finally chimed in, putting her specs down for a moment. "Let's settle down. I'm sure Summer's had just as many delicious studs as you've had, baby."

"I doubt that," Isabela contributed and was seconded by Summer.

"Me, too. I don't make it a sport."

"-Serah!" Hawke tried again. "What about you? Seeing anyone lately?"

"I want to be," Serah sighed, forlornly gazing after her friends and wishing she had small problems like them. On the one hand, Summer was locked into such a whole and sweet relationship with Sky, they seemed like soul mates. Yes, even Serah would agree that Sky was vastly more prudish than Summer, but Summer wasn't without a possessive streak either. And as for Isabela, she and Hawke may not put the official title to it, but between all other lovers, they had stuck and would continue to stick. They were practically married and their relationship was sweet. Serah wanted a sweet relationship, too.

"Aww, what's wrong? Too many old lovers nearby? Need something fresh?"

"Serah's looking for love," Summer filled in. Serah felt a hand on her shoulder give a little rub.

"Ugh," Isabela promptly made her noise of disgust. "Look the other way, Serah. Run."

"I don't want to run," Serah objected, heartfelt. "I haven't even been running, and I haven't even come close. I want someone to love."

"Why?" Isabela posed, "So you can be as happy as Summer is, begging for threesomes?"

"Or she could continue going on like you," Summer offered. "Condom-capping her poor studs and masking the ultimate orgasms she could ever receive in a lifetime."

"Honey, if your best orgasms are simply from going bareback, I pity your vagina."

"And I pity yours," Summer teased back. "So much sex, and not one time have you felt the hot, sweet rush of a stud's warm flush. Shame."

"See, I want that." Serah sighed with longing. "I want a stud to fill me until I'm soaking and come with them so strong, knowing their direct intention is love and to make me a mom."

"You could get that from anyone, Serah. You don't need to fall in love for it."

"But I want to." Serah almost pleaded her case for Isabela's understanding. "I'm almost thirty- "

"You're twenty-seven!" Isabela objected, "And who cares about age when you'll live past 200? I'm thirty-nine and I don't feel that pressure, love."

"It's not about my age," Serah tried to tell her, though in part, it was. Moreso, it was out of desire, though. "I just… want someone dependable. Even you have Hawke, Isabela."

"All my friends are getting mated," Isabela threw up her hands. "Where's Lebreau when you need good sense around here?"

"So, you'd like a stud, Serah," Summer deduced. "Someone that can give you children?"

"Well, I don't really care if she's a stud or femme," Serah offered. "But I do want children, so maybe a stud would be more convenient… I don't think I'd be able to do the potion thing like Jihl."

"I know plenty of studs, Serah. I can call one over for you to try out if you'd like."

"Ughh," Isabela moaned. "Don't let Summer hook you up. The last thing I need is _two _friends that are forbidden from having sex with anyone else. Imagine the conversations we'd have." Isabela shuddered. "So dry."

"If she gets me pregnant, I don't want her to have sex with anyone else. I'd want to court her."

"Here we go," Isabela groaned. "It's watching Sky claim Summer all over again."

Summer's lips twitched into a smile at the statement. "Sorry I took Sky off the market, Serah. Sounds like she's the type you're looking for."

"I don't think so, Summer." Isabela shuddered. "All your studs will want to bareback her the second they lay hands on Serah. I'll fix you up, Serah. I know plenty of studs willing to use a condom for the right girl."

Summer shuddered, too. "You physically hurt me every time you remind me of condoms, you know."

"Oh, hush," Isabela quieted. "If you were so worried about studs' well-being nowadays, you'd put yourself back onto the market for them." Isabela turned her attention back to the strawberry blonde. "So, Serah, what do you say? I'll bring you a stud that'll show you what a real soul-mate can do."

That scared her a little, actually, but Isabela made a fair point about Summer's studs as well. They'd all undoubtedly be into barebacking, which wasn't something Serah did with anyone but for her true love interest. On the other hand, whoever Isabela presented would undoubtedly be fully Yun and open to experimentation, which wasn't horrible, but Serah wasn't looking for a threesome. She wanted love, and she didn't want to offend her friends in the process who were just trying to help.

"I'll try both!" Serah volunteered, taking the middle ground. "If both of you have a friend you know of… maybe she'll be the one."

"Excellent."

Summer just sighed for her friend.

**Jaguar, 13 **

**XXX**

"Claire needed a little break from my penis," Jihl offered her friends in explanation. "She's headed off to Paddra for the day."

"Ooh, your penis," Carme perked up on the spot. She scooted over on the circular bench around a wide, stone table in the middle of a beautiful, Paradiso garden. "Are you still wearing it? Can I see?"

"Carme!" Bethany blushed on behalf of her friend.

"What?"

"Wearing it," Jihl smiled as she sat with her friends. "No, I'm not 'wearing it,' Carme. I get a couple of hours a day without. That's why I came to see you."

"It goes away," Carme speculated, murmuring to herself. "But then comes back when you drink the potion again, right? Is it the same one, or do you sprout a new penis every time you use it? What about length? Compare it to a stud's."

"Carme, stop! It's private between her and Claire."

"Why? We talk about sex all the time -why not sex with Jihl's penis?"

Bethany sighed and ignored the question to address Jihl. "I personally think it's sweet of you, Jihl."

"Thank you."

"Hey, I think it's sweet, too!" Carme turned back her attentiveness on Jihl, "So? How is it, Jihl? Is Claire getting off with you? Are you holding up long enough for her?"

Bethany shook her head in despair.

"It's not as glamourous as you might think," Jihl cautioned her friend. "Studs do a lot of fucking work to hold their boners for their mates."

"Ohh," Carme's interest didn't lack any, even hearing something negative. "Hold it how?" she asked. "Are you going soft during sex, or just orgasming first?"

"Going soft," Jihl snorted. "There is definitely no switch for that. As soon as I'm hard, I need Claire. The bloody dick's like an amplifier for everything. Even just seeing her while I have it is enough to work me up like a bitch."

"So, you're coming too fast with it," Carme deduced.

"Hey, I make sure Claire comes," Jihl growled in protest. "Beyond the first few times, she's come first almost every time since. We just… don't get in as much foreplay as we did."

"Aww, Jihl," Bethany sympathized, less relentless than Carme's questions. "Your endurance will build the more you have it, I'm sure. Holding out for her must mean a lot to Claire already."

It sure didn't seem like it, Jihl didn't say. Lightning didn't seem very fond of her with it. Jihl didn't know if it was discomfort or what- she was really trying for her girl, but Lightning was just disconnected from her. If it wasn't for her orgasming, Jihl would have thought she didn't like it at all, so Jihl always worked to make Lightning come first, even when it hurt like hell to hold it. "We'll see how it goes," Jihl simply responded. "Hopefully, we won't have to use it very long out from here."

"Wait," Carme put on hold. "So, you don't like it, either, Jihl?"

"Who said we didn't like it?" Jihl answered back, the question striking way too close to a nerve. That was the other thing, too. While Lightning didn't seem to particularly enjoy it, from Jihl's side, she had really, really, _really _enjoyed being in her wife. It was like she'd told Carme: _everything _was amplified with a penis. Even her pleasure seemed to soar, and the high came so much faster. It had felt just amazing to be squeezed by Lightning's walls, so much so that Jihl's mind practically lived in their experiences. It made her hard just to think of in such a painful, fantastic way that she was ready to fuck all the time and wanted it, too. It felt like Jihl had entered her fallow as well, except this was a fallow with her penis. Jihl was glad Lightning was in hers; at least she seemed to crave the sex, most likely for the sake of children, but when they got to it… agh. Jihl wished Lightning could appreciate it more.

"It feels great," Jihl filled in for Carme's questioning attention. "Being in Claire… there's nothing like it." Jihl got a shiver even here just to think of it. She was glad she didn't have the dick at the moment. "When she's letting me take her, there's something so incredible about dipping into her- I can't really explain it. It's like sex… heightened."

Carme was starry eyed in staring at her. "It sounds wonderful."

"It is." If only Lightning would enjoy it more. It'd be perfect if Jihl could share this intimately with her. "And if studs get that every time they fuck? Damn. I see the allure."

"Are you saying you prefer it?" Bethany asked, batting a curious eye now. "You like sex with the dick more?"

"Probably not," Jihl almost fibbed a little there. Sex with the dick was incredible -for her. Sex with the dick and Claire was not so much. Jihl didn't know what she could do to get Claire more into it. She wanted her wife to enjoy it as much as she did, but until now, Jihl really hadn't understood the extent of just how much Claire was not into dicks. She'd hoped that being with her would make up for that, but it seemed even she couldn't pull Claire around that bend. If Claire was to actually actively enjoy it, though… God. Maybe it was a good thing she was so turned off by it, because if she actually responded, Jihl would love her dick all the more.

"Claire likes me better as myself, so. It really does feel incredible, but there are bad parts to it, too." Number one being Claire, but Jihl hated even thinking that. She didn't want to blame her girlfriend; this was hard on both of them, and harder on Claire, it seemed, because she was so turned off by the addition. Jihl tried to talk away her thoughts from her problems with Claire. "It squirts, for one. It's much messier, and I don't really like watching it. It looks too weird on me, you know? Sometimes, it's hard to walk, too. And blueballs is not fun. When Claire isn't up for it, I have to slip away and go jerk off - haven't had to masturbate by myself in a long time. Then, it kind of sucks."

"It sounds like an adventure." Carme hummed to herself, eyes drifting over to Bethany as she pondered aloud. "I wonder what it feels like… Bethany, when's your next fallow?"

"Never."

"Aww, Beth, come on! You trust me, don't you?"

"Carme, no," Bethany shut out. "It's not a toy. Miranda made it as a gift so that Umbra couples could become pregnant with one another. It's not something to play around with because you're curious how it works."

"Well… you want more children." Carme pointed out lamely, reprimanded.

"Unless you're prepared to marry me and fall in line under Mum, I'd stop that train of thought." The spot always a little sore when it came to Bethany's dictating mother, Jihl offered Carme a little helpful distraction.

"How are the kids, Bethany?"

Bethany softened right up. While the waters around her pregnancy ran murky with her mother's thorough involvement in breaking up the relationship of Bethany's first love, the children were never a bad thing to bring up with her. Despite regrets and grievances surrounding the situation, Bethany held her children with all the pride of a Yun.

"Oh, they're wonderful," Bethany shared, enthused. "Raine's been so into baking of late. She said she wanted to bring something to the feast and make it a surprise for us all. And Joey can't wait to try her new practice bow at the festivities. They're all excited for the Adamantoise festival. I've left them with their grandmum today because Roma and Cybele will be there, otherwise I try to keep her influence on their ideals low-key. The other day, Joey spouted something about feeling abnormal for being the only Umbra-stud around. It sounded just like her influence, you know? It was horrible. Hopefully, Roma will put down anything negative Mum might say about Yuns…"

"I'm sure she will," Carme assured warmly. "You know how my mum feels about Yuns, especially studs. She won't put up with any badmouthing. And knowing your mum, she won't leave them alone with Leandra. They'll be okay for a few hours, Beth."

"Speaking of bad influences, where are Styria and Nix?" Jihl asked. "They were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. Did Nerites catch them going at it again?"

"Probably." Carme shrugged. "You know how they are. Nerites is probably stirring herself up about their eye tattoos again."

"I still can't believe they really did that," Bethany shook her head in dismay. "Their poor mothers."

"Should we go without them, then? I'm itching for a good run. I haven't turned in a week!"

"I suppose we could," Jihl agreed, standing. "Come on, girls. Let's run."

**Jaguar, 13**

**XXX**

"Lightning!" At the back end of the nearly-empty bar in mid-morning hours around four, Lebreau spotted her the instant her door opened and ducked from under the bar to go to her. Lebreau crossed the distance of the bar and immediately wrapped warm arms around her. "Girl, I've missed you. You've been busy with Jihl?"

"Busier than you can imagine," Lightning confessed, releasing a long breath that she'd seemed to be holding all week long. She'd missed her best friend, too.

"You have to tell me about it," Lebreau encouraged, dropping her arms from around Lightning to take her wrist instead. "I'll fix you up a some soup or something sweet. Do you have any cravings yet?"

"I don't think I'm pregnant just yet. Water's fine, Lebreau." They went back over to the bar where Lebreau seated her and ducked under to fill Lightning up a glass.

"You want to talk alone?" Lebreau asked, and at first Lightning didn't know what she meant because the few Yuns that remained were all unconscious on bedrolls, but she nodded back behind her to the kitchen's closed door. "Summer's here helping me out today. Rowan got sick, so I borrowed her for an evening. I'll send her home if you want the privacy."

Lightning had come to talk to Lebreau, but Summer wasn't someone to fear. Of all her friends besides Lebreau, Summer would understand her needed breather here more than most. "Summer can hear," Lightning allowed, just kind of relieved to have those two specific friends here.

Lebreau opened the soundproof kitchen door opened and called in, "Summer, Lightning's home."

"Oh, Light." Summer came out a moment later and came out from around the bar to greet Lightning with a quick kiss to the lips common between old lovers.

"How are you? You look exhausted," Summer noted when they'd all settled and Lebreau had given her a water. "Was it a long trip here?"

"It's been a long week. We started the treatments seven nights ago."

"Ohh," Summer nodded. "I wondered. It hasn't been horrible, has it?"

"Did the magic work?" Lebreau additionally asked. "Is Jihl okay?"

"Jihl's doing well," Lightning supplied to relieve their concerns. "The magic worked, as far as we can tell. Jihl's as big as a stud and she functions fine, but we're still doing tests with Miranda, too. She collects samples every now and then and has us measure Jihl's durations, stuff like how long Jihl gets it and how long she can stay hard, how long her ejaculations are, ect, ect."

Lebreau winced. "That doesn't sound fun."

"It's a lot to take on," Lightning shared. "I'm still adjusting to the difference personally, and all the added tests are just kind of stressful. I get that they're necessary, and I wouldn't want Jihl to go without them, it's just…"

"Exhausting," Summer supplied for her, then added. "You look really tired, Light. Has it all been these tests so far? I hope they gave you some time to familiarize with her."

"They did," Lightning offered. "Thalia and Miranda have been nice about all the testing. They limit it to an hour per day, then I go home with Jihl." Both her friends tilted their heads inquiringly. "We have had sex, and it wasn't horrible."

"But?" Lebreau made it easy for her. "Lay it on us, Light. Maybe we can help. You've got to at least get it off your chest here."

"It's different when she has it." Lightning finally let go. "We barely touch because of how much it affects her, and when we fuck, it's purely thrusting. She tries to be sweet about it and always makes sure to arouse me before she enters so that she doesn't come first, but it's just so hard to lay there without being able to reciprocate affection. Everything I do has an amplified effect on her. We can simply kiss - no tongue, even - and she's hard as iron. Worse is how much I crave her when she is, and I can't even caress her when we fuck because she can't hold it and gets upset if she comes first. I feel like we haven't made love since. She's just fucking me as I lay there."

"She's probably pretty sensitive with it all new," Summer nodded in understanding. "Perhaps she just needs to work up her endurance a little more so that you can touch her, too."

"She has been," Lightning confirmed. "She's gotten a little better about holding it since day one, but that's not even what I care about. She could come in me six times before I go once and I wouldn't mind, but she won't let me. She's taking on all the work in the bedroom and she won't let me hold her or fondle or kiss for overlong. Whenever we do, it turns to fucking or her running off to the bathroom to take care of herself. I miss pleasing my wife."

"What about when she's without it?" Lebreau asked. "The dick only lasts so long, right? Can you cuddle with her when it's gone?"

"That's the other thing," Lightning sighed with true strife. "The dick lasts sixteen hours."

"Ohh…"

"Yeah," Lightning nodded. "She's physically exhausted every day when it goes away, and she doesn't like to sleep with it, says she can't, so when it finally fades, she literally collapses for the next eight hours until it's time to take the next dose again."

"Can you skip days?"

Lightning shook her head. "I asked. Miranda said we shouldn't because it'll kill Jihl's building sperm count if we go more than ten hours without it, and we both want to get through this, so."

"Hm," Lebreau pondered. "So the dick is kind of like a permanent fixture until you get pregnant."

"Yes. Hopefully, it's only a month. I'm in the midst of my fallow, so I should be the most fertile now, but we'll just have to see how it goes. We're certainly fucking enough to get me pregnant. Hopefully, fast."

"Have you tried not having sex when you touch her?" Summer suggested. "Just sharing an intimate moment without the rush to it after?"

"I've tried," Lightning nodded. "Whenever I share a moment with her that goes on too long, she pushes for sex, and when I tell her no, she goes off by herself. I think she's too embarrassed about ejaculating when she's not in me to let it happen, and when she is in me, she does everything to make me come first. If I don't, or I touch her and cause her to come first, she really gets upset and won't stop apologizing to me after, so much so, she's choking on the words even before her orgasm ends. So, I don't like pushing it because I don't want her any more uncomfortable than she already is, but…" Lightning sighed quietly.

"How do you keep a stud from going hard when you just want a moment?" Lightning finally asked of her friends, two much more stud-experienced women than she was.

"Well, studs are always hard." Summer admitted and Lebreau gave a little nod to confirm it in her experience, too. "Even the most restrained stud will get hard with just the right kind of look from her woman. The trick is that balancing spot between sweet-hard and sex-hard."

"The problem with Jihl is that she's so new to this." Lebreau chimed in, agreeing. "She doesn't know that spot between getting hard because she's aroused or getting hard because she wants sex. Jihl is merely getting aroused, then jumping ahead to needing sex as soon as she's hard because her window of tolerance is so small."

"So, I should just wait it out?" Lightning asked, not liking that solution. More likely, she'd be pregnant before Jihl got a full handle on it, and then their daughter's conception would've already been loveless.

"Not necessarily," Summer countered. "You could try something else. You said Jihl was embarrassed of coming when she wasn't inside you, yes?"

"Yeah, she's shy about it." Lightning confirmed. "She thinks it's messy, and she doesn't like me able to see her penis when she comes."

"And she runs off into the bathroom if you say no to sex?" Lightning nodded. "Well, then, you should follow her, Lightning."

"Follow her to the bathroom."

"Yes. More than likely, when you say no, she's probably jerking off in the bathroom - Jihl doesn't seem to understand how long a stud could walk around with that hard on without touching it. So when she goes to the shower, follow her, Light."

"Yeah, maybe you could stay around behind her." Lebreau suggested, adding on. "Since Jihl's shy about you seeing her, just stay behind her and hold her."

"The shower's a clean place," Summer added. "So she won't be 'making a mess' if she comes, either. You don't need to do anything sexual with her there, just try to warm her up to being touched when she's hard."

"It's understandable why, but Jihl's shyness could be a hump you could slowly ease her over, too," Lebreau offered. She probably doesn't feel completely herself with the dick, so it may also be contributing to why she doesn't want to be touched in addition to the lack of control."

"Jihl's endurance is naturally going to mount over time." Lebreau added. "That, you shouldn't worry about so much, especially with how much sex you two are having. It's just her mindset you've gotta take steps to changing. Being the stud doesn't make her automatically responsible to handle everything. You're allowed to take care of her, too. Make sure she knows that."

"Lightning," Summer took Lightning's hand in her own and stroked it between long fingers before drawing her eyes to Summer's in attention. Summer's beautiful eyes. Golden ambers gleamed at Lightning, speckled throughout the light, mahogany irises. "I know you're worried about your intimacy with Jihl more, but you haven't mentioned taking in Jihl's Yun-sized dick at all." Summer stroked the back of her hand warmly, comforting. "Do you need to talk about it?"

"Anything you need to say," Lebreau nodded, agreeing with the offer. "Dick's not your thing, Light. We understand."

Lightning warmed. Looking between one understanding face to the next, the horrible weight that'd been weighing on her all week slid away like dry sand.

Lightning truly had the best of friends.


End file.
